The present invention is in the field of dimension measurement devices, such as those that may be used to determine the crown volume of a tree.
This invention consists of a device and method for measuring tree growth in order to determine the necessary amount of growth regulator to be applied. Tree growth regulator (TGR) is a product that, when applied to a tree in an appropriate amount, slows the rate of growth. One purpose for the application of such a product is to lessen the frequency of trimming necessary to keep a given tree from coming into contact with overhead power lines. An accurate measurement of tree crown volume allows one to apply the appropriate amount of product. Without an accurate measurement, growth regulator may be applied excessively, raising the overall product cost to the company applying such regulator. Growth regulator can also be applied too sparingly, resulting in undesired tree growth. This excessive growth then requires the trimming of the tree, the avoidance of which was one purpose for the application.
The current method of determining the amount of TGR to apply to a tree involves a measurement of the diameter of the trunk of the tree at the chest height of the person making the measurement. This can lead to inaccurate amounts of product being applied for several reasons. The primary reason for the inaccuracies with the chest height method is that trunk diameter has little correlation with the crown volume of the tree, which is what a utility company is trying to control. To compensate, the amount of recommended product application was kept on the high side to ensure the efficiency of the product. This excessive application of growth regulator resulted in unnecessarily high costs to the utility company.
Although described with respect to the field of tree growth measurement, it will be appreciated that similar advantages of dimension measurement may obtain in other applications of the present invention. Such advantages may become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosure or through practice of the invention.
The present invention includes dimension measuring devices and dimension measuring systems. The present invention also includes measuring methods and processes using the devices of the present invention. The methods and processes of the present invention may be applied using procedures and protocols known and used in the arts to which they pertain.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the TGR volume box of the present invention comprises: (1) a card with an opening of predetermined dimension wherein the card is adapted such that a holder of the card can visually determine tree crown volume classification by holding the card so that the holder""s line of sight to the viewed tree crown is through the opening, (2) an adjustable cord of an appropriate length fed through a hole in the card, and (3) a label containing trees species and corresponding application information.
The present invention may also include measurement processes and methods using the devices of the present invention. For example, the present invention may include a method of measuring tree crown volume comprising the steps of: (1) standing a predetermined distance from a tree; (2) holding a frame with an opening of predetermined size so that the line of sight of a holder of the frame to a viewed tree crown is through the opening; (3) viewing the crown volume of a tree through the opening in the frame; (4) determining if the bulk of the crown volume is viewable through the opening; and (5) classifying the tree crown size by whether or not the bulk of the crown volume is viewable through the opening. The frame used in this method may be included in a box structure or may be formed on a card.